A STORMY NIGHT. 73 



as two of the words. He then turned round to me, and 

 said, "I can't give you a dinner or a bed/' I told him that 

 I was not particular about what I ate, but, as my horse was 

 knocked up, I could not go farther. He said, " Well, you 

 shan't stop here ; and if you didn't mind sleeping in the 

 pigsty, I wouldn't even let you have a bed there." I was 

 very angry with him, and high words ensued ; and I am 

 afraid that deeds would have followed the words, had not 

 a Hottentot near me whispered that I had better not 

 strike the man, as he would not hesitate to use the knife 

 when he was half-drunk. I therefore turned my tired 

 horse again into the road, and, with a vigorous dig of the 

 spur, retreated from the conflict. I had now five miles of 

 a very rough road before me : it passed over stony hills, and 

 wound round the side of others. The night was dark as 

 Erebus, and the road, or rather beaten track, could only be 

 distinguished during the flashes of lightning, which now 

 came with blinding brilliancy. My horse slipped down 

 on his side, and nearly broke my ancle, as we were passing 

 round a hill on the side of which the road sloped ; the 

 rain, that now fell with rapidity, having made the track 

 greasy and slippery. Dismounting, I drove the horse 

 before me, but had great difficulty in getting him to keep 

 the beaten track ; sometimes he would turn to the right 

 or left, and the long grass brushing against my legs would 

 alone make me acquainted with the fact of having left the 

 road. I then waited for a fresh flash of lightning to enable 

 me to regain the pathway. Strange and indistinct forms 

 would be seen as the surrounding country was electrically 

 illuminated; the wild animals always choosing rainy or 



